What is the first step to accreditation? +

Who are the assessors? +

EMAP's assessors come from a varied backgrounds. All EMAP assessors must have the minimum following qualifications to be eligible:

Five years of experience in an emergency management position;

Experience in at least (1) actual emergency operation in which the emergency plan was implemented and participation in an activated emergency operations center requiring implemental operational response procedures;

Participated in at least one (1) emergency operation, training or exercise event in the last calendar year;

Be knowledgeable and up-to-date about the principles of comprehensive emergency management;

Must abide by the EMAP’s Code of Conduct;

Must be available for at least one (1) assessment each year calendar year;

Able to provide two (2) references regarding his or her qualifications from an emergency management division director or equivalent;

Have no conflict of interest as regards to any aspect of EMAP that might prevent objective review and assessment of an applicant program.

Must be able and willing to serve as a neutral observer; and

Satisfactory completion of the EMAP Training Course is required to serve as an assessor for the accreditation program

Is accreditation required? +

Accreditation is voluntary although some states have tied accreditation to the receipt of EMPG funding.

Accreditation is a means of demonstrating, through self-assessment, documentation and peer review, that a program meets national standards for emergency management programs.

What is an Emergency Management Program? +

EMAP defines an Emergency Management Program as a jurisdiction-wide system that provides for management and coordination of prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery activities for all hazards. The system encompasses all organizations, agencies, departments, entities, and individuals responsible for emergency management and homeland security for that jurisdiction.

How does EMAP define key public officials? +

EMAP doesn’t make this distinction. It is up
to a Program to define who their key public officials are. Typically, key public officials
should be considered those people who have key responsibilities in making decisions at the
highest level. For example, if a Program has a policy group, then its policy table will have key
officials who make decisions related to that particular jurisdiction. For a Program based in a
city, a key public official might be a mayor, a police chief, etc. For an Institution of Higher
Education, a provost, dean, president, etc. might be a key public official.